by L. T. Meade
exclaimed suddenly--
"I saw Annie Forest rushing down the stairs with little Nan, and Nan hadher arms round her neck, and was laughing merrily. You need not beanxious about Nan, Hester; she was quite content to go with Annie."
"I did not say I was anxious," replied Hester in a cold voice. "Howvery beautiful that avenue of beech trees is, Cecil!"
"But Annie heard Miss Good say that you were to take Nan," persistedJulia Morris. "She could not but have noticed it, for you did flush upso, Hester, and looked so eager. I never saw anyone more in earnestabout a trifle in my life; it was impossible for Annie not to haveheard."
"The great thing is that Nan is happy," said Hester in a fretted voice."Do let us change the subject, girls."
Cecil instantly began talking about the coming plays, and soon theconversation became of an absorbing character, and Hester's voice washeard oftener than the others, and she laughed more frequently than hercompanions.
For all this forced merriment, however, Cecil did not fail to observethat when Hester got to the place of meeting at Burn Castle she lookedaround her with a quick and eager glance. Then the colour faded fromher face, and her eyes grew dim.
That look of pain on Hester's face was quite enough for kind-heartedCecil. She had thrown herself on the grass with an exclamation ofdelight, but in an instant she was on her feet.
"Now, of course, the first thing is to find little Nan," she said;"she'll be missing you dreadful, Hetty."
Cecil held out her hand to Hester to run with her through the wood, but,to her surprise, Hester drew back.
"I'm tired," she said; "I daresay we shall find Nan presently. She issure to be safe, as she is under Miss Danesbury's care."
Cecil made no remark, but set off by herself to find the littlechildren. Presently, standing on a little knoll, and putting her twohands round her lips, so as to form a speaking trumpet, she shouted toHester. Hester came slowly and apparently unwillingly toward her, butwhen she got to the foot of the knoll, Cecil flew down, and, taking herby the hand, ran with her to the top.
"Oh, do come quick!" she exclaimed; "it is such a pretty sight."
Down in the valley about fifty yards away were the ten or twelve littlechildren who formed the infant portion of the school. Miss Danesburywas sitting at some distance off quietly reading, and the children,decked with flowers, and carrying tall grasses and reeds in their hands,were flying round and round in a merry circle, while in their midst, andthe centre of attraction, stood Annie, whose hat was tossed aside, andwhose bright, curling hair was literally crowned with wild flowers. OnAnnie's shoulder stood little Nan, carefully and beautifully poised, andround Nan's wavy curls was a starry wreath of wood-anemones. Nan wasshouting gleefully and clapping her hands, while Annie balanced herslightest movement with the greatest agility, and kept her little feetsteady on her shoulders with scarcely an effort. As the children ranround and round Annie she waltzed gracefully backwards and forwards tomeet them, and they all sang snatches of nursery rhymes. When Cecil andHester appeared they had reached in their varied collection--
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall."
Here Nan exclaimed, in her clear, high-pitched voice--
"Me no fall, Annie," and the small children on the ground clapped theirhands and blew kisses to her.
"Isn't it pretty? Isn't Annie sweet with children?" said Cecil, lookinground to Hester with all the admiration she felt for her friend shiningin her face. The expression, however, which Hester wore at that momentreally startled Cecil: she was absolutely colourless, and presently shecalled aloud in a harsh, strained voice--
"Be careful of her! How wicked of you to put her like that on yourshoulder! She will fall--yes, I know she will fall; oh, do be careful!"
Hester's voice startled the children, who ceased sinking and dancing:Annie made a hasty step forward, and one little voice alone kept singingout the words--
"Humpty Dumpty got a great fall!" when there was a crash and a cry, andNan, in some inexplicable way, had fallen backwards from Annie'sshoulders.
In one instant Hester was in the midst of the group.
"Don't touch her," she said, as Annie flew to pick up the child, who,falling with some force on her head, had been stunned; "don't touchher--don't dare! It was your doing; you did it on purpose--you wishedto do it!"
"You are unjust," said Annie, in a low tone. "Nan was perfectly safeuntil you startled her. Like all the rest you are unjust. Nan wouldhave come to no harm if you had not spoken."
Hester did not vouchsafe another word. She sat on the ground with theunconscious and pretty little flower-crowned figure laid across her lap;she was terrified, and thought in her inexperience that Nan must bedead.
At the first mention of the accident Cecil had flown to fetch somewater, and when she and Miss Danesbury applied it to little Nan'stemples, she presently sighed, and opened her brown eyes wide.
"I hope--I trust she is not much hurt," said Miss Danesbury; "but Ithink it safest to take her home at once. Cecil, dear, can you doanything about fetching a waggonette round to the stile at the entranceof the wood? Now the puzzle is, who is to take care of the rest of thelittle children? If only they were under Miss Good's care, I shouldbreathe more easily."
"I am going home with Nan," said Hester, in a hard voice.
"Of course, my love: no one would think of parting you from your littlesister," said the governess soothingly.
"If you please, Miss Danesbury," said Annie, whose face was quite aspale as Hester's, and her eyes heavy as though she longed to cry, "willyou trust me with the little ones? If you do, I will promise to takethem straight to Miss Good, and to be most careful of them."
Miss Danesbury's gentle and kind face looked relieved.
"Thank you, Annie--of course I trust you, dear. Take the children atonce to the meeting-place under the great oak, and wait there until MissGood appears."
Annie suddenly sprang forward, and threw her arms round Miss Danesbury'sneck.
"Miss Danesbury, you comfort me," she said, in a kind of stifled voice,and then she ran off with the children.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
"HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD A GREAT FALL."
All the stupor and languor which immediately followed Nan's fall passedoff during her drive home; she chatted and laughed, her cheeks wereflushed, her eyes bright. Hester turned with a relieved face to MissDanesbury.
"My little darling is all right, is she not?" she said. "Oh, I was soterrified--oh, how thankful I am no harm has been done!"
Miss Danesbury did not return Hester's full gaze; she attempted to takelittle Nan on her knee, but Nan clung to Hetty. Then she said--
"You must be careful to keep the sun off her, dear--hold your parasolwell down--just so. That is better. When we get home, I will put herto bed at once. Please God, there _is_ nothing wrong; cut one cannot betoo careful."
Something in Miss Danesbury's manner affected Hester strangely; sheclasped Nan's slight baby form closer and closer to her heart, and nolonger joined in the little one's mirth. As the drive drew to a close,Nan again ceased talking, and fell into a heavy sleep.
Miss Danesbury's face grew graver and graver, and, when the waggonettedrew up at Lavender House, she insisted on lifting the sleeping childout of Hester's arms, and carrying her up to her little crib. WhenNan's little head was laid on the cool pillow, she again opened hereyes, and instantly asked for a drink. Miss Danesbury gave her somemilk and water, but the moment she drank it she was sick.
"Just as I feared," said the governess; "there is some little mischief--not much, I hope--but we must instantly send for the doctor."
As Miss Danesbury walked across the room to ring the bell, Hesterfollowed her.
"She's not in danger?" she whispered in a hoarse voice; "if she is,Annie is guilty of murder."
"Don't, my dear," said the governess; "you must keep quiet for Nan'ssake. Please God, she will soon be better. All I really apprehend is alittl
e excitement and feverishness, which will pass off in a few dayswith care. Hester, my dear, I suddenly remember that the house isnearly empty, for all the servants are also enjoying a holiday. I thinkI must send you for Dr Mayflower. The waggonette is still at the door.Drive at once to town, my dear, and ask the coachman to take you toNumber 10, The Parade. If you are very quick, you will catch DrMayflower before he goes out on his afternoon rounds."
Hester glanced for half an instant at Nan, but her eyes were againclosed.
"I will take the best care of her," said the governess in a kind voice;"don't lose an instant, dear."
Hester snatched up
